Lothian Thistle Hutchison Vale FC are a Scottish non league football club based in the west of the city of Edinburgh. 'Thistle' were formed in 1969 as Lothian Thistle as an amateur works team. The club progressed to senior status when they joined the East of Scotland League in 1995.
In 1997 Thistle won promotion to the league's Premier Division and began a link up with Hutchison Vale youth football club to produce players through its own system. The club changed its name before the 2011-12 season to reflect the partnership.
The club continued to try and upgrade their home Saughton Enclosure ground with proposals being put forward to re-align the floodlights and the addition of a seated grandstand. Grants were being sourced from the relevant authorities.
Lothian Thistle Hutchison Vale FC will play in the East of Scotland League Premier Division in the 2013-14 season.
My visit
Tuesday 29th January 2013
A visit to the Saughton Enclosure was possible on my circular tour of the football grounds of Edinburgh thanks to the superb bus network. The £3.50 all day pass was now proving extremely beneficial, especially after the long walks I'd already undertaken. After calling into Ainslie Park, the home of Spartans a short walk to Crewe Toll allowed me to take a direct service, which arrived with a couple of minutes, past Murrayfield and to the gates of Saughton Park.
The park itself was very nice, with the Water of Leith running to the south and playgrounds and football pitches of both grass and 3G surfaces filling the large grassy area. The enclosure was in fact an athletics track at the far end. The gates were closed but viewing was easy through the railings of the basic but neat venue, which had a shallow grass bank around the track and the changing rooms behind the goal at the near end. It would be improved no end if a stand could have been erected.
My day continued with another bus ride, this time up to Tynecastle to buy the tickets for the match the following evening.
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